The campaign of the Ministry of Economy and Commerce to promote local products has started bearing fruits as local farms have stepped up efforts to increase their production.

“My company is producing 60 tonnes of dairy products and juices per day,” Mohammad Al Helou, commercial manager of Gulf Food Production Company told The Peninsula. The Gulf Food Production Company is running Raw’a brand of dairy farm and juice producing unit.

He said that the company has added new production units to increase production of dairy products and juices from existing capacity of 60 tonnes to 80 tonnes per day.

Meanwhile, the government organisations are promoting local products and facilitating local producers in every possible way to market their products.

“There are many more projects in the pipeline to provide more platforms for marketing of local products,” Yousef Al Khulaifi, Director of Agricultural Affairs Department told The Peninsula during a recent event of the Ministry.

He said that new marketing platforms will be provided in collaboration with the Ministry of Economy and Commerce.

Speaking on the quality and demand of local products, Al Helou, Manager of Gulf Food Production Company, said “our products witnessed high demand because of the good quality and are available in the market at competitive prices compared to imported products.”

He said that the products reached to various commercial markets, schools, star hotels, restaurants, supermarkets and grocery shops.

He said that Gulf Food Production Company under Raw’a brand is producing wide range of dairy products including fresh milk, flavoured yogurt, laban and various types of juices.

Under an initiative of the Ministry of Economy and Commerce to promote local products, major retail outlets in Qatar are displaying Qatari products prominently setting up special shelves for them. The initiative aims at easing customers’ access to local products by giving them extra importance in marketing.

The Ministry of Municipality and Environment also joined hands to promote local products in its own innovative way. The Ministry had launched a month-long campaign to promote the local products.

Under the initiative, the Ministry in collaboration with an advertising company “WASEL for Sustainable and Environment-Friendly Advertising Solutions” installed billboards across the country to educate people about Qatari products.

The Ministry of Municipality and Environment has been providing various platforms including three winter farmers markets to sell their agricultural produce directly to the customers. To promote local products, the Ministry of Municipality and Environment has been organising separate festival for specific products.

Last week from Thursday to Friday, the Agricultural and Fisheries Affairs Department at the Ministry held a festival at farmers’ winter market at Al Mazrouha to promote locally produced meat, poultry and dairy products.

A total of 150kg chicken including 100kg frozen and 50kg chilled; and 70 cratesof eggs were sold out at the festival, said the Ministry of Municipality and Environment in a statement.

The sale of red meat, dairy products and juices were 806kg, 857 litters and 288 kg respectively. Consumers are being urged to support local products by giving them priority in shopping.

“Local traders and investors of agricultural and other sectors are receiving state support from various level but as consumers it is our duty to buy local products to encourage the companies to increase their products,” Abdullah Awdi, a local businessman told The Peninsula.